The annual reporting of sentinel and serious events in the nation's public hospitals expected this month has been delayed until February, it was confirmed yesterday.
The annual releasing of information about the events began in February 2008, relating to the previous financial year.
A similar release date followed the second year, but for the past two years the information has been made public in November.
It had been expected this would be the case this year, but a spokeswoman for the Health Quality and Safety Commission, which co-ordinates the release, said the delay was the result of some reports still being compiled.
It was " quite a big process" and it was important that the final report was the best it could be.
The timing was not related to the timing of the general election.
The information in the reports will relate to the year ended in June this year.
The reporting includes any event which causes, or has the potential to cause, serious lasting disability or death, not related to the natural course of the patient's illness or underlying condition.
The reports are not designed to chastise individual hospitals, or rank them against each other, but are used to show what has been learned from such events and where improvements have been made.
